April 28, 2022 3:40 a.m.

Two Republican state senators disagree with Governor Kate Brown’s decision to commute the life sentence of Kyle Hedquist, for the murder of Nikki Thrasher.

Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp said, “As with many others, the facts of this case are outrageous and brutal”. Knopp said, “The Governor continues to let violent criminals out of prison and Democrats in the majority remain silent. The only time they have taken a position was to kill Senate Republicans’ legislation to check the Governor’s overreaching authority to stop releases like this one”.

A release from Oregon Senate Republicans said Thrasher was murdered by the recently released Hedquist in 1994. Hedquist convinced the victim to drive him to a remote location in Douglas County where he proceeded to execute her. In addition to the life sentence for murder, Hedquist was also serving eighty months for robbery and kidnapping.

Senator Kim Thatcher said, “The Governor is making a habit of releasing violent criminals back into Marion County. The families of Hedquist’s victims were promised by our justice system that this man would be in prison for life. But the Governor has single-handedly reneged on that promise. This is Crime Victims Rights’ Week. I cannot think of a worse way to honor those who have been impacted by crime than releasing their offenders from prison”. Thatcher said the decisions are dangerous and the legislature must respond by passing “…common-sense oversite reforms. No one person should have all this power”.